I did enjoy my trip to Winston-Salem but there was only one day to sit around before I was back on Zoom with the Arizona Quilters Guild for a Pretty in Paisley class. If a guild wants to book an embroidery class they have several options to choose from. Some want a very basic sample but some want to stitch on something that feels more like a “design”. We had a fun day together!
Next up was a trip to Ohio. I received an invite to teach at Sue Spargo‘s lovely shop south of Akron last year and now it was time to get on the road… I set off early on the Wednesday morning and got to the store before closing time so I could set up ready to teach the next day.
First up was a two day Machine Quilting class, starting with the walking foot, and moving on to free motion with extra discussion of combining the two and adding hand stitched details. We had a full room, with Sue also taking the class…
Everyone stitched away… and Sue managed to stay mostly on task… she always has a hundred and one projects on the go.
Here’s proof!!
We put the machines away on Saturday for a full day of buttons with 24 busy buttoneers stitching a full range of Dorset and Shirt lace buttons.
Here’s just a selection of the finished buttons.
It was a super three days with wonderful company and an awesome space to work in… We had two students who had driven 17 hours to join us and several more who had traveled more than five hours.
If you missed the chance to visit Sue’s destination quilt shop and take one (or more!) of my classes then don’t worry. I will be back twice next year and for four days at a time Details will be posted as we have them.
I might have done a little bit of shopping before I left…
The drive home included a detour around the back streets of Gary, Indiana with all the other people who were using Apple maps to avoid a complete stop on the I-80. Always an adventure!
But no time to rest (well not too many days) and I was on an airplane, bound for New York. It was not a work trip!
Bridget and I booked the trip last year. She flew in from England and we met up at our hotel just one block from Times Square. I was designated photographer and I took a LOT of pictures. Here’s just a few to give you a little insight into our four days together.
Times Square. Busy enough during the day, chaotic at night.
We “did”art. Bridget wanted to visit Klimt’s Lady in Gold at the Neue Gallery. You are not actually allowed to take pictures in the gallery so they have a copy in the basement, specially for tourists…
We had the best cup of coffee of the trip at the gallery restaurant and a delicious Apple Streusel with real fresh whipped cream. Yum!
We took the Staten ferry to get pictures of the sky line and of the Statue of Liberty.
We visited the 9/11 Memorial but didn’t go the museum. We also didn’t visit the Westfield shopping mall there but this is it with its distinctive bird shaped building!
Cocktails at the the Top of the Rock at sunset were a good idea.
And a reasonably early walk on the High Line was super, followed by coffee and and a chocolate sourdough twist at Chelsea Market.
We passed by the FIT on the way back and popped in to see the latest exhibit. All about sleeves!
Benjamin just happened to be in New York on his eight grade trip. We tracked him down in Rockefeller Plaza!! Just time to take a picture and let him get back to his tour.
Just too much fun! I have lots more pictures on my phone but you get the idea. We walked over eight miles each day. We are already planning our sisters’ trip for 2025.
Life went on with a short drive to Itasca and the Itasca Quilters Guild. Not a large group, but a happy crowd, ready to take a Trip around the World.
And it was still June!
So New York is on the Atlantic coast, Portland (Oregon) isn’t very far from the Pacific?
Another day, another jaunt. This one was with Sarah and two of her friends. We met at Midway airport, where they had a layover, and flew West to Oregon in search of adventure. Suffice to say we had a series of adventures, a true Comedy of Errors… but All’s Well That End’s Well.
I wasn’t there for very long but we visited the famous Rose Gardens,
A thorn amongst the roses?
And enjoyed a wonderful guided tour of the Japanese Gardens.
Less than 30 hours after we landed in Portland I was back in a cab on the way back to the airport. There was Mount Hood peeking through the clouds!
I needed to be back to Zoom with the Santa Clara Valley Quilt Association and I managed it with four hours to spare. I took another Trip Around the World on Monday evening followed by a whole day of Walking Foot Quilting – take the scenic route with a full screen of workshop participants!
Maybe it’s not surprising that I managed to pick up a cold somewhere along the way and was rather out of commission for two days after all that. Never mind, all is better now and I’m ready for my next adventure. (This time Steve and I are both flying somewhere for a few days… there will be pictures)
Meanwhile, time for some show and share. Valerie from New Orleans sent me a picture of her finished Dorset Feather Embroidery case.
And Robert from the Coachella Guild shared a picture of the piece he made after the Walking Foot class I taught there in April.
I love receiving e-mails from students!
I have been stitching a few Sashiko cloths as samples for my traveling pop up shop. This snow flake design is on green fabric. I’m six months ahead of myself?
I will be at home more over the next six months. Don’t worry, I have a major project to keep me busy. I do have a few trips booked, just not quite as many as the last six months.
Class registration opened for Quilt Festival on June 19th. I was truly amazed when I checked in at four in the afternoon to find that all my classes were full! That does not mean that they will stay that way. People’s plans do change, so if you will be in Houston and you had hoped to take one of my workshops, you can still go on-line at the Quilts.com website and add yourself to the wait lists. and of course there are still lots of other great classes with spaces.
Sign up started today for Road to California which is taking place January 20 – 25 next year. As of now there is space in all of my classes but registration has been brisk!! I have booked my hotel room already.
July 1st! Half way through 2024. So far it’s been great.
